Exodus 3 Point 5
by Merry2BLost
Summary: This takes place immediately after Exodus Part 3 Read, review, enjoy! Chapter 8 is up. More to come in this never ending story!
1. Now What?

_Thanks for all the great reviews – I have taken your suggestion and hopefully this looks a lot better. – M2BL_

**Exodus 3.5**

"That looks like it hurts – a lot." Claire touched Charlie's hand as he gingerly cleaned his cuts with a wet cloth.

"It's not too bad" He lied – it hurt like hell. His head throbbed from the gash on his forehead, but it was the smaller cuts caused by the falling rocks that stung the most. He dipped the cloth back into the water and squeezed. He looked over at Aaron lying peacefully in Claire's lap. The baby fussed a little but soon his eyes were sleepily closing. He had quite a day. Charlie placed the cloth back on his face and winced as he touched the area around the large wound. Claire looked at him with both worry and gratitude in her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. Eyes you could lose yourself for eternity in them. He smiled as she cupped his face in her hand and gently caressed his bearded chin with her thumb.

"Have I told you thank you enough, Charlie?" She wanted to kiss his forehead and make the pain go away from the black scar, but she wasn't sure how he would interpret the gesture.

"Yes, Claire" he said sighing and talking her hand in his, "You've only told me a hundred times!" He squeezed her hand, "I told you I'd keep my promise, yeah?" When did it dawn on him that he loved her, he couldn't remember. It almost took him completely unawares, but when she looked at him with all the trust in the world in her eyes, he knew. He just knew. He would have done anything for her. He didn't even think twice about going after her child – he would get him back, no matter what. True, Sayid was the one who led the way, who knew where he was going, had more patience than he did when they found Danielle, but he knew he would never quit – ever – until the child was back in Claire's arms again. But, damn, the gunpowder hurt!

He was so tired, exhausted actually. So much had happened – the French woman had appeared, black smoke on the horizon, the raft launched, Jack and company went to go look for dynamite, Aaron kidnapped…. His head was spinning – too much, too much. Claire watched as Charlie's eyes tried to stay open, but eventually would close. He leaned against her shoulder and she could hear by his breathing that he was sound asleep. With one hand she shifted the baby to her right arm, cradling him in the crook, then with the other she guided Charlie's head to her lap. He settled his head into this soft pillow and wrapped his arm around her knees.

Claire stroked his hair and smiled, "Sleep my hero," she whispered, "You've earned it." Her eyes scanned the scene in the cave; everyone was both relieved and anxious at the same time. She sighed, please God let us be safe now, she prayed silently. She looked down at Charlie again, sleeping peacefully, and then something caught her eye by his feet. What was that sticking out of his bag?

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Charlie's first awareness was of the soft pillow under his head. Ummm nice, he thought. Then the pillow moved beneath his head. His eyes snapped open and for a second he forgot where he was. He slowly lifted his head and caught a glimpse of two bare feet curling their toes. He smiled and lay his head down again. I know exactly where I am, he thought, and he squeezed Claire a little tighter. He thought she was still asleep, but then he felt her fingers tickle his ear.

"So we're awake, are we?" He tried to sit up, but bumped into a small body suspended above his head. "Hey, careful! He doesn't need to be knocked about, ya know." Charlie turned his head to see Claire nursing Turnip-head, ah Aaron, above him. He pushed up and sideways, ducking under her arms and sat up straight next to her. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Is it morning already?" He heard Claire giggle and kiss him gently on the cheek.

"I don't think I've seen you sleep like that in a long time," she said readjusting the nursing baby in her arm.

"I haven't had such a soft pillow for a long time, have I?" He gave her a sideways look and smiled. She smiled at him and pushed his arm playfully.

"Well I couldn't let you sleep on a rock, now could I?" He ran his fingers through his hair and stretched his arms.

"Are you hungry?" Claire asked as she took Aaron from under her shirt and held him over her shoulder to burp him.

"Famished" Charlie said looking around the cave.

"There's some fruit over there" she said tossing her head over her shoulder, "Can you bring me some too?"

"I'd love to" he said getting on his feet. He started over to the back of the cave. He stopped and turned toward her, "Jack come back yet?"

She shook her head, "No, haven't seen any of them since yesterday."

Charlie thought about this for a second and headed back towards the back of the cave. He looked around the cave. Everyone was still sleeping or in the process of getting up. He saw Shannon lying comfortably on Sayid's chest sleeping as he was propped up against the cave wall. Sayid opened his eyes and looked at Charlie. There was an unspoken acknowledgement between the two of them.

"How's your head?" Sayid said in a low voice. Shannon shifted her head on his chest; his hand lightly stroked her hair.

"Hurts" Charlie said gently touching the wound on his forehead.

Sayid smiled and nodded his head, "I'm not surprised" he said pointing at Charlie, "It's going to leave quite a scar."

Charlie nodded and smiled wryly, "War wound, eh?"

Charlie continued across the cave and saw the fruit piled up on a rock. He grabbed a couple of pieces and a bottle of water and headed back to Claire. What a beautiful picture, he thought as he looked at her with the sleeping baby in her arms. And they're all mine, but he ended the thought and shook his head, no not mine, not yet.

"Here you go" he said handing Claire the piece of fruit, "and water – you must be thirsty."

"Thanks, Charlie" she said taking the fruit, tucking it under her arm and grasping the water bottle. "We can share, Ok?"

"Sure" he said smiling. He sat down beside her and felt something push against his foot. His bag was lying on the ground where he had left it the night before. Bollocks! The Virgin Mary statuette was protruding out of the top of the bag. Charlie looked back at Claire and then took a sweeping glance around the cave. Had anyone seen it? Had Sayid? He slowing lowered his hand down to the top of the statuette and gently pushed it back into the bag. He grabbed for the zipper and just as he was pulling on it, Claire touched his arm.

"What's that?" she looked at him gesturing towards the bag.

"What's what?"

"That!"

Charlie pursed his lips and pushed the bag underneath his leg. "Just something I found in the jungle – nothing really…"

"It looks like a doll…" she started to get up and move towards the bag.

Charlie stood up quickly and shouldered the bag, "Just a piece of wreckage that was lying on the ground" he put his hands on her shoulders, "You want to go for a walk down to the beach?"

"What about the Others?" she tried to figure out what was going on behind his manner.

"There are no Others."

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"So now what?" Jack stared down the dark shaft that was now revealed with the removal of the hatch. He looked at Locke who was also looking down the dark hole. Minutes before they had rigged dynamite to blow the hatch off, now each looked at the other for some answers. Kate and Hurley slowly crept up to where the two men were standing.

"Dude…" Hurley peeked over Jack's shoulder, "Ah…is that what you were expecting?" Jack continued staring into the shaft. "Cause that doesn't look too inviting…"

"You see the broken rungs?" Locke pointed down the shaft to Jack.

"You think we should go down there, don't you?" Jack said looking at Locke.

The older man's face was a mixture of excitement and awe. Locke nodded, "That's why we're here, Jack." He looked around the surrounding area, "We're going to need some rope."

"I don't think we brought any" Jack said looking at Kate and Hurley with a questioning look.

"Nope, not me" answered Hurley.

"I think I can make it down there without it" said Kate trying to come around Jack's side to see the opening fully.

Jack shook his head "Not this time, Kate."

Kate started to protest and Jack grabbed her by the shoulders "We need rope – I need you to go back to the caves to get it." He looked hard into her eyes "Can you do that for me? Please?"

"We're running out of time, Jack!" Locke insisted.

"We're going to have to make time, John." Jack shot a look at Locke, "We can't get down there any other way." He looked back at Kate "Please?" Kate nodded reluctantly and turned to leave.

"Need some company?" Hurley wanted to get away from the hatch as soon as he could. "Cause you shouldn't be walking in the dark alone, right? You don't know who…or what is out there.."

Kate smiled "Sure, but we need to go now!" Hurley nodded, shouldered his pack and followed Kate down the path to the caves.

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"What did you mean 'the numbers are bad'?" Kate turned her head over her shoulder and looked back at Hurley who was trudging behind her on the path to the caves.

"Huh?"

"You kept shouting 'the numbers are bad', what does that mean? What numbers?"

Hurley looked at the ground in front of him. What do I say, he thought, how can I tell her about the curse? Will she think I'm crazy? What were the numbers doing on the hatch?

"Ah, there were numbers on the hatch…"

Kate looked back at him again, "Okay…"

"Did you see them?" Hurley asked.

Kate shook her head, "No, why?"

"Because I've seen those numbers before….on the French woman's notes…and…"

Kate stopped and looked at him puzzled. "And what?"

Hurley pulled up next to her, but avoided making eye contact. "It's just that I've seen them before." He looked back and then forward up the path, "We better get going; they're going to wonder where we are." He pulled ahead of Kate and started walking a little faster down the path.

Kate looked after him trying to figure out what had just happened. She looked back down path then went forward to catch up with Hurley.

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His first thought was, hey, I'm not dead. He was breathing and felt himself being pulled. He involuntarily shivered at the cold of the water and tried to push the hair out of his eyes with his hand. "Son of a bitch!" God that hurt!

Jin looked over his shoulder to find Sawyer gasping for air and screaming. "Awww – what the …" Jin continued to swim as hard as he could, pulling the Southerner towards the remains of the raft. He saw Michael floundering in the water, one hand clutching at some floating bamboo. He was still shouting for Walt, but the boy was long gone. As he neared the debris, he saw that there was still enough of the raft to keep it floating. The fires were starting to die down, but smoke still filled the air.

Michael saw Jin coming closer and reached out a hand to him. "Here – come closer!" he shouted to the Korean, struggling with his burden. "Gotcha!" Jin felt Michael's hand grab his and pull him towards the still bound pontoons of bamboo. Jin pulled Sawyer's arm behind him and guided it to the bamboo. He released his arm only when he was sure that Sawyer had a grip on the wood.

"What the hell happened?" Sawyer grabbed the pontoon with his right arm and faced the distraught Michael.

"They took him!" Michael looked back into the dark ocean, "They took Walt!"

"Why?" questioned Sawyer, wincing at the pain in his left shoulder, "Did they say why?" The warmth of his blood intermingled with the cold, salt water. Michael wearily shook his head.

"No, no they didn't say a damn thing."

Jin shouted to Michael in Korean gesturing to Sawyer and the remains of the raft. "Yeah, Ok, we need to get out of this water." He dragged himself on top of the pontoon and pulled Jin up next to him. They both took an arm on Sawyer and tried to lift him onto the bamboo.

"Hey, you want to watch it! I've been shot, remember?" Sawyer sucked air quickly between his teeth as a searing pain went through his arm as they lifted him. Michael and Jin continued to pull him up until he flopped on his stomach on the deck, gasping in pain.

Michael looked around to assess the damage; small fires were still burning on several pieces of the wreckage, the mast was gone, along with the sail – there was a large hole in the cabin, but it still stood on the damaged decking – the pontoons were barely holding on to the fuselage remains and the rudder was no where in sight. He stood on the remaining decking and strained his eyes out into the dark sea again. They took him, he told himself, they took him. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes – why? Why? I'll get him back, he wiped the tears from his face – I will get him back!

Jin was gathering as much of the wreckage as possible, stamping out the fires and pulling the still existing ropes to the pontoons. He shouted to Michael to help, but he was trying to wrap a piece of his shirt around Sawyer's wound.

Michael tightened the knot and Sawyer cried out in pain

"You wanna tie that a little tighter, Chief?"

"We need to stop the bleeding, man – So shut the hell up!" Sawyer glared at Michael as he finished tying off the bandage.

Saywer looked over at Jin balancing his way around the deck and then up at Michael – "So now what?"

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The sky was lightening when Kate and Hurley arrived at the caves. Vincent barked at their arrival and Shannon looked up from her place on Sayid's chest.

"What's going on? Vincent – what's the matter?"

The yellow dog wagged his tail and ran across the cave to Hurley.

"Hey dude – glad to see me?" The large man patted the dog on the head and eased himself out of his backpack. "Man, what a night!"

Kate looked at him with a expectant look "We're not done yet, Hurley" laying her hand on his chest. "We still have to get the rope, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, the rope…why don't you take care of that, okay, cause I'm not really looking forward to going back to that hatch."

"What hatch? What are you talking about?" Shannon raised herself to a sitting position and pushed herself up with her arms.

Hurley shot a look at Sayid who was standing behind Shannon. The Iraqi winced at the revelation and looked back from Hurley to Shannon.

"It's a place where Jack and Locke think we can be safe" he clasped her face in his hands "Your brother and Locke found it many weeks ago"

Shannon's face clouded at the thought of Boone "Why didn't he say anything about it to me?" She questioned the man she was growing to love.

"They didn't want to raise false hope." He kissed her forehead and held her close to him.

"Yeah, well.." Hurley sighed as he sat down on the floor of the cave "They blew it open, and there's like this tunnel or shaft thingy that they want to climb down"

Kate looked at Hurley and then walked over to where the supplies where –she was sure she had seen rope there.

"They're going down there?" Sayid was stunned "Inside this hatch that no one knows who it belongs to or what could possibly be inside?"

Hurley nodded his head "Dude, it's pretty radical what they want to do" he lifted his hands out palms up, "But what are you gonna do – Locke's pretty much insisting on it."

Sayid shook his head "Fools."

Kate came up to them with a round of rope over her shoulder "Well, fools or not – they're going down shaft." She looked at Hurley "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"Absolutely" he answered quickly.

"I'm coming."

Shannon looked at Sayid as he grabbed his pack.

"But you just got back – you can't just go off again – you don't know what's out there!"

She pleaded with him, but he was determined. He gently laid his hand on her face, "I'll be alright," he said reassuring her, "Don't worry – I'll be back soon." He gave her a soft kiss and turned to follow Kate who was already on her way down the path. Sayid gave a look back at Shannon, who was hugging herself for comfort, and then disappeared into the brush.

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"Beautiful sunrise, yeah?"

Charlie looked over at Claire as they sat on the beach watching the sky turn yellow and orange. Claire smiled and nodded her head. Little Aaron was asleep in her lap and she pulled the blanket up more around his neck. The baby slept peacefully, showing no sign of the horror he had suffered the night before. Charlie squeezed Claire's hand that he was holding between them. While he appeared calm, his mind was racing from one thought to the next. What happens now, he wondered. His thoughts drifted to the drugs inside his bag. Why did I take it, he questioned himself, the urge, the craving was still there. He remembered the unbelievable ecstasy he used to have when the heroin hit his system. It would calm the demons in his head and his body, which he badly needed. Too many things had gone wrong in his life and the only thing that took the pain away was the little packet he always kept handy. But that was before – before the crash, before the island, before Claire. He turned his head and watched her cuddle the small bundle in her lap. Yeah, before Claire.

Charlie scanned the beach and looked at all the abandoned tents and shelters. Had it only been yesterday when we launched the raft? I wonder if anybody's seen them yet. Could we be rescued soon? A thousand questions bounced around Charlie's head. The wound on his forehead throbbed and he squinted as the light in his eyes only made the pain worse. His hand absently went to his bag and his fingers felt the outline of the Madonna. This would make all the pain go away, he thought, a smile slightly formed on his lips; gone – all gone.

"What are you smiling about, Charlie?" Claire was studying is face as he stared with closed eyes at the sea.

"Huh? What?" His eyes popped open and he turned towards her. "Nothing, luv, nothing really.." He took his hand off the bag and put it in his lap "Just wondering about the raft and how soon it will be until we get rescued."

She smiled and put her hand on his knee "The sooner the better if it's up to me" Her smile beamed as she squeezed her hand "then we can go home."

"What, Australia?" he questioned, wrinkling the skin between his eyes in a bemused look.

"No" she said softly, "Our home."

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Locke looked around impatiently. He needed to go down there, now!

Jack was sitting on a nearby log with his chin in his hand, observing Locke and pondering the future. A Locke problem, he had told Kate, we're going to have a Locke problem. He was still trying to process all that Locke had told him about destiny, about the island. Yes, he knew the island was different. After all there was the polar bear…and of course the monster. But destiny, fate – he couldn't wrap his head around it. And what about the Others? Weren't they supposed to come after sundown? Had they come? Did they find the caves? He worried about the rest of his survivors – yes, his survivors – he was their leader and they were his responsibility. He looked back up at Locke again and what he saw made him cringe.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jack shouted at Locke.

The older man was starting down the ladder inside the shaft. Jack made is way quickly over to the opening.

"I have to see what's down there, Jack" Locke jerked Jack's hand off his arm.

"We need to wait for the rope – we don't know how far the ladder goes down there!" Jack re-grabbed Locke's arm.

"We can't wait – you can stay here, but I have to go." Locke started down the ladder.

"John, stop!" But Locke's head was already level with the top of the hatch.

"It'll be alright, Jack" Locke looked up, trying to reassure him, "It'll be alright." He continued down the ladder.

Jack's face was a mixture of fury and frustration. Damn him, he thought. "I'm coming with you!" His voice echoed down the chamber. The beam from Locke's flashlight was becoming faint. "Locke!" There was no response. "LOCKE!"

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"Now what?" Michael echoed Sawyer's question. He brought his hand up to his mouth and closed his eyes in exhaustion and frustration, "Now we find my son!"

"In the dark? On half a raft?" Sawyer looked up at Michael in amazement, "You might want to think about that again, Captain!"

Jin came up beside Michael showing him the salvaged pieces of the transceiver and radar equipment.

"This tub ain't goin' nowhere until we can see what the hell we're doin'" Sawyer scanned the horizon. "Look, it's gonna be light soon – let's wait until then, Ok?"

Michael's face showed his frustration and pain. He looked at Jin and saw he understood what was being said – if not the words, at least the tone of the conversation.

Michael turned and stared out into the dark, "Ok, we'll wait" he said in a low voice, "but only until we can see." He kicked a piece of loose bamboo and then sat down with his head in his hands "I'm coming, Walt" he said under his breath, "I'm coming.."

Small waves hit the edge of the wreckage with soft plops against the low rumble of the constant sea. Jin could see the slight glints of sunlight starting to peek out on the horizon. With the rising of the sun the damage to their once proud raft was horribly evident. Half of the cabin made out of the fuselage was gone, the pontoons of bamboo were barely holding on to the patchwork of decking, the mast and the sail were nowhere to be seen. Several pieces of bamboo were floating near the raft as were some of their supplies – the fruit in the nets and – amazingly – the bottle holding the notes of the survivors. Sawyer stirred at the light hitting his eyes and winced in pain as he tried to sit up. He rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath as he tried to stand.

Michael was still sitting on the deck, staring out to where he last saw his son. All night Michael kept running the attack over in his head. I should have stopped them, he thought, I should have done more – I should have saved him. He dropped his head in weary anguish. Only the sound of Jin's voice brought him back to reality.

"Michael" Jin put his hand on Michael's shoulder, "We – go – back, yes?" His halting English made its point.

Michael looked up at the Korean's concerned face and nodded his head; "Yes" he said softly, "We go back."

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	2. Let It Be

**Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 2**

This is a continuation of one part of Exodus 3.5 – after the season finale of Lost

**Let It Be**

"Our home…" Charlie repeated under his breath. He looked a Claire and smiled. This is what he had been waiting to hear for awhile. He squeezed her hand and on impulse placed a small kiss on her lips. He was amazed that rather than pull away, she leaned into him.

Claire smiled within the kiss and broke it. She looked at him with a new appreciation and winked.

"I was wondering when and if you were going to do that" She cupped his face in her hand and stroked his bearded cheek with her thumb.

Charlie blushed and pushed a kiss into her palm. "I wasn't sure if you wanted me to, luv." He placed his hand on hers, "but I've been wanting to for weeks" He smiled and shrugged his shoulders, "Just couldn't get up the bloody courage" he winked back at her "You're pretty intimidating."

"Cheeky bugger" she pushed his face playfully. Claire leaned her head on Charlie's shoulder and closed her eyes, happy and peaceful.

The rock star kissed her forehead and reached around to pick up his guitar. It was sitting on top of his bag and as he pulled it forward, the statuette again tried to make an escape. He quickly looked at Claire making sure she didn't see it and pushed it back into the bag. Laying the guitar on his lap he gently stroked the strings. Finding the position he wanted his fingers to be on the frets, he started to sing:

_I give her all my love and tenderly_

_The kiss my lover brings_

_She brings to me_

_And I love her_

Claire lifted her head off his shoulder "Is that the Beatles?" she asked as he continued to play. Baby Aaron was starting to stir on her lap so she lifted him up onto her shoulder "Quiet, my love, Charlie's playing us a song." The child lifted his head and started to gurgle into his mother's ear. Claire looked over at the musician, "See he likes it!"

Charlie smiled and nodded his head "Of course he does, who doesn't like the Beatles?" He started strumming again and humming the next verse. The music was pulling him in, surrounding him, making everything else disappear – the island, the pain, the need – all gone. He wasn't even aware of Claire getting up from the sand and start to walk back to the caves.

"What? Where are you going?"

"I said…" Claire brushed the sand from her pants and put Aaron back into the bjorn "We need to see if Jack has come back yet" She adjusted the baby in front of her, "I want to make sure that Aaron's all right after his little…adventure." She tapped the baby's back. "You coming?"

He squinted up at her and set his jaw, "Would you mind if I just stayed her a bit?" Claire cocked her head at him. "It's just that..." he laid his hand on the strings of the guitar, "I need a little quiet time – I need to think."

Claire nodded and looked apprehensively into the jungle. "Do you think it's safe for me to go back alone?"

Charlie nodded his head and with an uncharacteristic flatness to his voice said it should be fine and that he would be along soon. Claire looked at him with raised eyebrows, shrugged and started down the path. She stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"You're coming soon then, right?" She tried to keep her voice calm but the fear was starting to creep in. Why would he not come with, she wondered.

Charlie blew her a kiss, "I'll be there straightaway, luv" He still saw her face give a questioning look. He crossed his heart with his finger "Promise." He smiled at her then turned back to the ocean and his guitar.

Claire gave him one last look and turned into the jungle. I can do this, she said to herself, I've done it lots of times before. She threw her shoulders back and walked with a determined stride. Nothing was going to stop her from getting to the caves. Nothing.

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Charlie closed his eyes and slowing swept his fingers over the strings. He knew he should have gone with her, but he needed to be by himself for just a little bit. He reached over to his bag and gently grasped the Madonna. It was cool in his hand and he shook it slightly. Yep, there it was, cradled inside, calling to him, so seductive. He placed the statue in the sand in front of him and stared firmly at it. He put his hand to his chin, elbow resting on his guitar and closed his eyes. What do I do, he thought, what do I do? He opened his eyes and looked up into the strikingly blue sky. His fingers absently found the strings and his voice came out in almost a sob:

_When I find myself in times of trouble_

_Mother Mary comes to me_

_Speaking words of wisdom_

_Let it be_

He stared at the statue again.

_And in my hour of darkness _

_She is standing right in front of me_

_Whisper words of wisdom_

_Let it be_.

She was laughing at him, he thought – Charlie the loser, Charlie the junkie. You'll always need me, she mocked. You'll never take care of anyone!

_Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be_

_There will be an answer_

_Let it be_

Tears streamed down his cheeks. But I can be better, he thought, Claire loves me! Loves you, Mother Mary snorted, no one loves you! Worthless, weak, scared Charlie – what is there to love?

Charlie jumped to his feet, the guitar falling silently into the sand. His face was bright red in anger and frustration. He grabbed the statue and cocked his arm back.

What do you think you're doing, the statue asked, you need me. Charlie blinked the tears from his eyes. I don't need you, he screamed inside. Yes you do, whispered the Madonna, you do and you always will.

Charlie screamed as he threw the statue as hard as he could into the sea. He could almost hear it shriek as it flew out of his hand. He sat down hard and covered his face with his hands. His body shook with convulsions as he cried. It was done – no more – done. He knew he would never go back to the plane. He would never be under the control of the brown powder again. He wiped his eyes with his palms and took a deep breath. The gentle roar of the waves calmed his soul and he smiled into the bright sunshine. He shook his head and grabbed the neck of the guitar. Standing and wiping the sand from his jeans, he slipped the guitar strap over his chest and grabbed the now lighter feeling bag. He took another deep breath and started down the path to the caves.

_There will be an answer_

_Let it be_.

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	3. Redemption Song

Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 3

**Redemption Song**

"Yes" repeated Michael, "We go back."

_Old pirates, yes, they rob I_

_Sold I to the merchant ships_

_Minutes before they took I_

_From the bottomless pit_

For some reason the song ran around in Sawyer's head. Lying back on what was left of the raft, the words drifted with the sunlight that played on his closed eye lids. He could hear Michael and Jin arguing with each other. What else was new, he thought, like a husband and wife they bickered constantly. The roar of the ocean was constant backdrop to all of their conversations, but now there was a sense of urgency to the men's tone.

"Hey! Sawyer!" Michael's voice barked across the raft, "I know you're hurt, but could you at least try to help?"

The Southerner slowly opened his eyes to the blue sky. He raised himself painfully to a sitting position. "Son of a bitch!" His face contorted in agony as he tried to steady himself with his injured arm. He glared over at Michael.

"Excuse me, Captain Ahab" Sawyer sneered at Michael, "Just what in the hell do you expect me to do?" he held his hand up in a questioning manner, "It's not like we're gonna get anywhere anytime soon!"

Michael frowned and narrowed his eyes in frustration. He scanned the pieces of raft again and sighed. He hated to admit it, but Sawyer was right; they weren't going anywhere soon. He looked out again into the vast ocean, hoping to see his son, but knowing full well it wasn't going to happen.

"Michael" Jin shouted. He showed the crest-fallen father two pieces of bamboo he had salvaged from the broken raft. He pantomimed rowing with one of the logs and said something in Korean to Michael.

"What? What are you doin', man?

Jin took the bamboo log again and pushed it in the water along side the edge of fragile raft.

"Row? You want us to row back to the island?"

The Korean vigorously nodded his head, "R-o-w" he continued to pull with the bamboo, "Yes - - Row!" He tossed the other piece of log to Michael and showed him again how to use the makeshift oar.

Michael nodded and started to imitate Jin's stroke into the water. The raft moved hesitantly, and then slowing started in the direction the men were rowing. Jin smiled at his partner and pulled harder. All of a sudden the raft began to spin. The men tried to use the oars to stop it, but the movement just made the raft turn the other way.

"Whoa, Hoss!" Sawyer tried to stand up "You're making me dizzy!" He hung on to what was left of the cabin in the middle of the raft as it started to slow down. He looked at Michael, Michael looked at Jin and then they both looked at Sawyer. "Call me stupid" the con man said, "but I think we somethin' to steer this thing." He tossed the long hair out of his eyes, "Like a rudder, maybe?"

"We don't have a rudder, Sawyer!" Michael's frustrated voice came out in a fury.

"Then we need to make one!" Sawyer shouted back. "I'm sure Sulu, here, could come up with somethin' if he put his mind to it!" He gestured towards Jin and the Korean looked at Michael for an explanation. Sawyer looked at Jin as if he was a child "Rud – der" he pronounced the word slowly. Jin looked at Michael again. "Rud – der" Sawyer repeated. Jin still looked puzzled. "Oh, forget about it, this is a waste of my damn time!" The Southerner was thoroughly frustrated and threw up his hands.

"Rud – der" Jin said to himself and started to look around the wreckage. Michael looked at Sawyer and then smiled at Jin.

"Yeah, man – what could we use for a rudder?" Both Michael and Jin started towards what was left of the cabin. Sawyer's eyes widened as they came towards him.

"Hey wait! Sorry!" He put his hands out in front of him to hold them off, "It was just an idea!" Both men ignored him and gently lifted him back to where he originally was on the raft. "Hey – Careful, Officer! This is precious merchandise, ya know!"

Jin and Michael started to tear apart what was left of the cabin. One side of it was still in tact. Michael looked at Jin and the Korean nodded. "Good" said Michael. Jin grabbed the piece of metal forcefully. "Good" he echoed. Jin attached the piece of metal to a piece of bamboo with whatever rope was left unburned. There was a piece of wood missing from the raft platform that made the perfect place to put the newly formed rudder. Remnant wire was found to attach it to the back and Jin clapped his hands in triumph.

"We go now" he looked up at Michael, "Yes?" The black man nodded and clasped the Korean's hand.

"Yep! Way to go man! You did good!" Michael looked to the other side of the raft "Hey Sawyer!" In resignation the con man turned to look over his shoulder. He raised his eyebrows in a questioning look.

"What now?" he growled.

Michael waved him towards the newly installed rudder. "Hey, man, since this was your idea" he gestured towards the rudder, "You get to use it!"

Sawyer slowing shook his head, "Great" he said under his breath. "Alright – I'll do it." He gingerly got to his feet and walked to where Michael offered him the tiller, "I guess it's not as if I can actually row this damn thing!" Michael laughed and patted Sawyer on the back.

Both Michael and Jin took up their makeshift oars and the raft started to move again. The sea gently slipped by them as made their way back to where they started.

Sawyer sat with his back to the rudder and moved it with a steady hand. He closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sky. Then he started to sing softly:

_But my hand was made strong_

_By the hand of the almighty_

_We forward in this generation_

_Triumphantly_

The tops of the mountains of the island were starting to come into view. Michael looked back at Sawyer and lifted his head in acknowledgement. He gave Jin a "thumbs up" sign and joined his voice to Sawyer's…

_Won't you help to sing_

_These songs of freedom_

'_Cause all I ever have_

_Redemption songs_

_Redemption songs…._


	4. Eye In The Sky

Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 4

**Eye In The Sky  
**

_x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x _

_Don't think sorry's easily said_

_Don't try turning tables instead_

_You've taken lots of chances before_

_But I'm not gonna give anymore_

_Don't ask me_

_That's how it goes_

_Cause part of me knows what you're thinkin'_

_x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x_

"LOCKE!" Jack continued to scream the older man's name into the now-opened hatch's shaft. He craned his head closer and tried to pick up any sound.

"Jack!"

The doctor looked up and then down at the shaft again. "Locke?" He heard bushes moving behind him and he stood up with a start. He had nothing but the torch in is hand for defense, so he held it in front of him as a weapon.

"Jack! Can you hear me?" Kate's voice rang out and she approached the area near the hatch. Sayid was on her heels, trying to follow without knocking her down. Both were trying to get to Jack and Locke as soon as they could. Both knew that something strange was happening, but neither could put their finger on it.

"Kate?" Jack stepped forward from the hatch and raised the torch to see the dark-haired woman and the Iraqi emerge from the bushes. "Sayid? What are you doing here?"

Sayid stepped forward, set down his backpack, and walked over to the hatch opening. "I came to see what kind of foolishness you were planning" He looked at Jack "I guess I am too late." He then scanned the surrounding area, "Where is Locke?"

"He didn't go down there?" Kate looked at Jack and then at the shaft. "Jack, you didn't let him go down there by himself, did you?"

"I tried to stop him, Kate" said Jack as he shook his head, "but you know Locke…" He looked behind Kate at her backpack "Did you bring the rope?"

"Right here" as she pulled it from the pack, "I hope it's enough."

"It'll have to be" Jack pulled out the rope and started to drop the end down the shaft.

"What are you doing?" Sayid looked at Jack with shock.

Jack nodded his head towards the shaft, "I'm going down there."

Sayid grabbed the rope "Just wait – let's think about this for a second." He looked from Jack to Kate and then back to Jack. "We don't know what is down there" he took a breath "It might be dangerous" he looked down the shaft again "or worse."

"Worse?" Jack questioned. He shook his head at Sayid and started over to tie the end of the rope to a tree "It doesn't matter – Locke is down there and I can't let him do this alone."

"Then I should go" Kate stepped up and tried to take the rope from Jack. She pleaded with her eyes at the doctor, but Jack jerked the rope from her hand.

"No, Kate" he said firmly, "Not this time" he jerked his head at the Iraqi "You stay up here with Sayid" he paused and gave a knowing look to the other man "In case…"

"In case what?" demanded Kate, not giving up so easily.

Jack put his hand on her shoulder, "Just in case" he said softly and then cupped her cheek in is hand. "I need to know you'll be safe" He looked hard into her eyes "Do you understand?"

Kate nodded reluctantly and watched as he started down the shaft. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and gave Sayid a frustrated look. The Iraqi put his hands behind his head and turned around in anger and helplessness. He couldn't think of anything else to say to stop this madness, so he just paced around the opening.

Jack's head was almost level with the ground. His feet found the rungs that weren't broken and he felt confident with his weight on them. Kate's flashlight shown down on his head and he motioned for her to focus it on the ladder instead. With one hand on the rung and the other holding the rope, he continued to ease himself down the hole. He suddenly grabbed the rope with both hands as his foot could not find the next ladder rung. He shouted involuntarily.

"Jack!" Kate called down "Are you alright?" There was worry in her voice.

"I'm fine" Jack replied, "Just slipped on the ladder" He could barely see her face looking down at him "It's okay – don't worry" He continued down the shaft until he was totally out of sight from the rim.

"Don't worry, he says" said Kate to herself. She looked over at Sayid who was now sitting on a fallen log "What else am I supposed to do?"

Sayid looked at her with a blank expression. He motioned her over to the log to sit next to him. Kate came over reluctantly and plopped down.

"There's nothing we can do now" he said placing his hand on her knee. She looked at him with total helplessness. "All we can do now is wait."

_x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x_

_Don't say words you're gonna regret_

_Don't let the fire rush to your head_

_I've heard the accusation before_

_And I ain't gonna take any more_

_Believe me_

_The sun in your eyes_

_Made some of the lies worth believing_

_x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x_

The walls of the shaft were smooth and cool as Jack continued hand-over-hand down the rope. He kept looking for Locke's light below, but all he saw was the inky darkness. He couldn't see the top of the hatch anymore, and the flashlight pushed into his pocket only illuminated his immediate space. Down, down, down – wasn't he there yet, he thought to himself. There has to be a bottom, right? All of a sudden he could make out a soft glow beneath him.

"Locke?" his voice echoed down the shaft "Is that you?"

"Yes, Jack" came the older man's voice in a loud whisper "It's me – now keep your voice down!" Jack could see the light getting brighter and the space around him began to glow.

"You're almost there" called Locke.

Jack could hear the man's voice getting closer to him. He lowered himself a few more feet and suddenly he could feel the ground beneath him. The shaft had opened up into a wider corridor, enough to fit two people across, and high enough that his head did not touch the ceiling. Locke was shining his light on the walls and looked intently at the markings that covered it.

Jack let go of the rope, took the flashlight out of his pocket, and walked over to see what the older man was examining so intently.

"What are you looking at?" Jack turned and looked around the corridor. "Where are we?"

"These are very ancient Polynesian petroglyphs" Locke ran his hand over the markings and pointed one out to Jack "See this?" Jack nodded "This is a symbol for an all-seeing eye" The picture looked like a large circle with a solid circle in the middle. All around the circumference of the larger circle, solid stars were placed equidistant along the "eye."

"An eye?" Jack looked at Locke with a perplexed expression "Like the Masonic all-seeing eye?" Jack remembered his father's ring which had the symbol on it.

"Yes" said Locke examining the surrounding petroglyphs "but much older" he turned and faced the doctor "The ancient Polynesians believed that this 'great eye' watched over them, protected them." He pointed to another picture "See here? There seems to be fire and smoke coming out the eye and covering the people."

Jack could see the small figures painted on the wall represented a tribe of some sort. There were also pictures of trees, some of them broken on the ground. "What do you think these mean" he said pointing at the figures.

Locke thought about this for a moment and knitted his eyebrows together. He looked at Jack with a grim expression. "This is how the eye protects his people" he pointed to the pictures of fire and smoke. He raised his eyebrows at Jack and smiled "Look familiar?"

Jack looked at the pictures again and the understanding of them was shocking. He turned back at Locke, but the man had already started down the corridor.

_x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x_

_I am the eye in the sky_

_Looking at you _

_I can read your mind_

_I am the maker of rules_

_Dealing with fools_

_I can cheat you blind_

_And I don't to see anymore_

_To know that _

_I can read your mind, I can read your mind._


	5. Waltzing Matilda

Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 5

**Waltzing Matilda**

_Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong_

_Under the shade of coolabahs tree_

_And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled_

"_Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"_

Claire softly sang to her son about her homeland. It was a silly song, she thought, but it is purely Australian. She was trying to calm the baby as they walked back to the caves. He was fussing and seemed not to care very much for the bjorn-sling in which he was being carried.

"Shhhh, Aaron" she cooed, "Be good for momma, okay?" she patted the baby on the back. He scrunched up his face in baby anger and waved his tiny fists in the air. He let out a wail that Claire thought would wake the dead.

"Sweetie, please stop!" she said as she stopped and lifted him out of the bjorn and held his face next to hers. "I'll feed you soon – as soon as we get to the caves." She looked him straight in the face and smiled, "Alright? Really, I promise." Aaron continued to scream. Claire was at her wits end. She started to walk and sing again.

_Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water hole_

_Up jumped a swagman and grabbed him in glee_

_And he sang as he stowed him away in this tucker bag_

"_You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me"_

Tears started to drip down her face. They were almost unconscious tears coming from both frustration and fatigue. _This was too hard_, she thought, _too hard_. _Nobody understands yet they keep telling me what I should do. Telling me it's going to be okay. What do they know?_ She put the baby back in the bjorn and started earnestly down the path again. _Fate – there's no such thing as fate. We make our own fate, don't we?_ She thought back to her astrology. _Maybe our fate is in the stars after all._ She smiled to herself. _Of all the silly things to remember right now._

She pulled up short. There was a rustling in the trees. She turned and scanned the forest around her. A chill ran down her spine. The baby has suddenly stopped crying. She took another hesitant step. The rustling became louder. Fear was starting to grip her. She put her arms around the baby and scanned the area again. Her body was telling her to run, but her head was trying to stay in control.

"Hello?" she called tentatively. The rustling had stopped. Then the voices started. She turned at the odd sound. Whispers actually. She couldn't understand what they were saying but she decided she wasn't going to stick around to find out. Claire hurried her steps down the path. Her breathing became rapid. The whispers became louder. Stop! She screamed inside her head. She started to run. The fear was so tangible she could taste it. Run, the voice inside her head cried – Run! She looked back over her shoulder to see if it was behind her.

"Claire!"

How did they know her name? The voice was faint but clear. She started to run faster but all of a sudden her feet were no longer on the ground. She had tripped over an exposed root from a nearby tree. Almost through instinct she twisted her body in the air so as not to fall on the baby. She landed on the ground with a thud trying to keep Aaron out of harm. The baby also bounced on the ground and started to scream again. Claire had the wind knocked of her and was unable to get up quickly. She heard the bushes rustle again and footsteps coming up fast behind her.

"Oh God" she thought, her heart was frozen in fear "It's the Others," she raised herself up on her hands "they're coming after all!"

Claire heard her name called again. She struggled to get back on her feet. Her knees were bruised and her forearms were badly scraped. She slipped back down to her knees and tried to pull Aaron closer to her.

"Claire! Are you there?"

Now that voice was familiar, she thought to herself.

"Charlie!" she screamed. The footfalls were coming closer now. She tried to rise again and suddenly felt strong arms pulling her up.

"Claire – what happened?" cried Charlie as he picked her up and held her in his arms. She hugged him tight and started to cry into his shoulder. "Hey now, what's all this?" He pulled her forward to face him.

"Aaron!" she cried and bent down to pick up the still crying baby. She held him close to her chest and tried to soothe him with both words and cuddles.

"Ok, everybody good?" Charlie slipped his arm around Claire again. "Now what the bloody hell happened?"

Claire wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. She explained how they were walking down the path, heard the trees move, the whispers…

"Whispers?" Charlie questioned, "What whispers?"

Claire looked at him with concern "You didn't hear them?"

Charlie shook his head "Didn't hear a bloody thing but your screams." He looked at her face again "Are you sure you're alright?" Claire nodded, checked Aaron, and nodded again.

"Ok," he said and pushed her forward, "Let's get out of this enchanted forest from hell and get back to the caves."

They started back down the path. Charlie kept a watchful look around him and strained his ears to see if the whispers came back. Nothing. They could see the outcropping where the caves were. Claire had begun to relax as they came closer. Aaron was now calmly gurgling in his bjorn.

"Were you singing?" Charlie asked turning towards Claire.

Claire raised her eyebrows, "Yes, I was trying to calm down Aaron – hey wait! I thought you didn't hear anything but my screams." She gave him an indignant look.

Charlie shrugged his shoulder, "Well, that…" he looked down to the ground "and some sort of dance song?" He looked back at her "What's that about then?"

Claire smiled and shook her head "Waltzing Matilda, Charlie, Waltzing Matilda" she said giving him a questioning look "Have you never heard that song?" He shook his head. She was taken aback "it's only the bloodynational song of Australia!"

Charlie laughed at her shocked look "Sorry luv, wasn't on the DriveShaft playlist."

Claire rolled her eyes and started to walk faster, getting ahead of him. "Bloody Pom!" she said under her breath. She started to see the opening of the caves.

"Oi!" Charlie called after her "Wait up!" Claire picked up her pace. "I didn't say I didn't like it…" Charlie watched her as she disappeared into the caves. "I thought their song was about a koala or something" he muttered to himself as he entered the caves.

_Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda_

_Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?_

_And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled_

_Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?_


	6. Beyond the Sea

**Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 6**

**Beyond the Sea**

_Somewhere beyond sea_

_Somewhere waiting for me_

_My lover stands on golden sands_

_And watches the ships that go sailing_

Ana-Lucia sat on the beach softly singing. She scanned the blue horizon in front of her. The ocean gave its familiar roar and the rolling waves slowly made their way to the shore, breaking into white caps and dissolving into foam that fingered its way into the sand. She closed her eyes and leaned back onto her elbows. The sun warmed her face and a slight breeze tousled her dark hair. She tried to remember the next verse. Knitting her eyebrows together in concentration, she smiled and nodded her head. Her voice rose like a clear bell…

_Somewhere beyond the sea_

_He's there watching for me_

_If I could fly like birds on high_

_Then straight to his arms I'd go sailing_

"Bobby Darin" came a deep voice behind her.

She turned and looked over her shoulder squinting and holding her hand over her eyes for shading. "Sorry?"

"I said…" said the older black man lowering himself to sit down beside her on the sand. He was a tall man so it took a little time to sit his entire six foot two frame anywhere. He held his hands resting on his knees and turned to face the dark-eyed beauty next to him "That's a Bobby Darin song, right?" He looked up and closed his eyes in a memory "My wife and I used to dance to that song when it came on the radio."

Ana-Lucia smiled. "I guess so, Bernard," she said turning back towards the sea "It was something my mother used to play when I was little." Bernard snorted. "Not that you're old or anything" she said quickly apologizing. She started to say something else, but mentally bit her tongue. _Way to go Ana,_ she thought, _Do you have to insult one-fourth of the people on this island?_

Bernard chucked softly "That's alright, Ana – I know you didn't mean anything by it." He turned and looked at the young woman with his tired eyes "Besides" he smirked, "I _am_ old enough to be your father!"

Ana-Lucia's laugh was like tinkling chimes; light and happy. Bernard joined in with his own laugh that was low, like the ocean roar.

They made quite a pair, the older man thought – the beautiful Hispanic actress from California and the retired taxi driver from New York. They were two of the four people that survived the plane crash. They were in the tail section that separated itself from the rest of the plane. How they survived was a continuing question for the group, but somehow they did survive. They had salvaged a redundant transceiver from the crew's quarters in the back of the plane and had tried several times to send a signal. Only once did they hear any kind of reply, but even that didn't make any sense. At least that's what Robbie, the Oceanic flight attendant, thought when they heard a voice come through the static on the speaker. As the four of them leaned towards the hand-held transceiver, Ana-Lucia, Bernard, Robbie, and Laura, the blackjack dealer from Las Vegas, all they could hear was someone saying that they were the survivors of Oceanic flight 815 then the voice was lost in static. Robbie whacked the transceiver on the side to try and bring in a better signal, but it was gone. The only thing they could get out was that _they_ were the survivors of flight 815, but that was lost in the static as well.

"Why are you sitting out here, Ana?" asked Bernard as he looked down the beach to where their shelters lay near the trees, "You should come back and get something to eat" he winked at her "I think Robbie's cooking some sort of rodent."

Ana-Lucia gave him smile that also showed disgust "Mmm, rodent, sounds tasty?" She stuck out her tongue and gave a choking sound.

Bernard laughed and pushed his large frame up from the sand. "Come on, it's better than nothing, kiddo"

"Says you!" quipped Ana-Lucia looking up at him. She turned back to the ocean and shook her head "I wanna sit and watch the water for awhile…" She looked up at him again "You never know…"

Bernard sighed and shook his head slightly. She still thinks someone is coming, he thought, even after all this time. A month and a half had passed and still no one had come. He thought about Rose and dropped his head to his chest. _My sweet girl_, he thought. He didn't even have his wedding ring to ponder over – he had given it to his wife to hold because his fingers swelled when they flew. He smiled. She always kept it on a chain around her neck. He tasted something salty on his lips. Tears were falling unbidden. He wiped them with the back of his hand, straightened up and started walking towards the fire. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself" he said calling back to the girl "But don't get your hopes up."

_But that's all I have_, thought Ana-Lucia, _hope is all I have_. She stood up and scanned the horizon again. _And I'm not giving up yet!_ Her gaze became more determined. _Come on! There has to be something – somebody out there! _She turned towards the western horizon and searched until she started to give herself a headache from staring so hard. She cocked her head. _What's that?_ She walked closer to the shore, water washing over her toes. _A boat?_ The object was becoming more prominent on the horizon. _It is a boat!_

"BERNARD! ROBBIE! LAURA!" Ana-Lucia screamed at the top of her lungs. She started waving her arms frantically.

_It's far beyond the stars_

_It's near beyond the moon_

_And I know without a doubt_

_My heart will lead me there soon._

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Hey Dad! Are we there yet?"

Michael looked back to where the comment came from – Sawyer. The Southerner was leaning on the tiller, shirt off, and his hair falling irritatingly in his eyes. Michael shook his head and looked over at Jin who was still pulling at the makeshift oar, sweat pouring from his face. He called over to the Korean to take a break, but Jin just shook his head and kept pulling at the sea.

"You know, man, you wouldn't be so mouthy if you had to row this damn thing" Michael said bringing the bamboo oar out of the water and resting on it.

Sawyer dropped his eyes and gave a sideways look, "Aw come on, Chief – you know I gotta broken wing" he raised his left arm showing the wraps around his shoulder. "Maybe if I hadn't been shot…" he started.

Michael made a "get away from me" gesture with his hand, "Yeah, man, whatever." He put the oar back in the water. "Just shut up and steer!"

Sawyer brought his hand to his brow and saluted Michael – of course the middle finger was more prominent than the others. "Aye aye, mon capitan!"

For most of the day they had floated on a calm sea. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the unforgiving sun beat down on what was left of their raft. They were traveling at a decent speed between the rowing and the wind blowing on the waves. They could see the highest mountains on the island. They looked so near, but it was illusion – they were still far from their "home" shore.

The only thing on Michael's mind was getting back his son, getting back Walt. God only knows what has happened to him, he thought. _If they have touched one hair on his head, I'll, I'll…. _It was only with Jin's shout that he saw he was almost breaking the bamboo oar between his hands. He looked over at the Korean and saw him pointing at something.

"What's the matter, man? What do you see?"

Jin became very animated and started shouting in Korean. Sawyer raised his head and turned it towards where Jin was pointing.

"Whacha got there, Charlie Chan? Flyin' fish?" The con man grabbed hold of the remnants of the cabin and pulled himself to his feet. He sucked air through his teeth as a sharp pain went through his injured shoulder.

Michael strained his eyes to see what Jin was seeing. He could see land! And a beach? Wreckage? He looked at the Korean. Why would there be wreckage? Didn't the tide take the wreckage? He turned and looked at Sawyer who was also looking where Jin was pointing.

"Land, man!" Michael clapped his hands "He's seen land!"

Sawyer pumped the air with his fist, "Yes!" He wondered what Kate would say when she saw him returning. He found himself yearning to see that freckled face again.

"There's something weird, though" said Michael as he pulled his oar as hard as Jin now.

"Like what?" asked Sawyer.

"There's wreckage on the beach!"

"Whadda you talking about, son? The tide took what was left of the plane..."

Michael shook his head while he continued to row, "I'm telling you, man – there's some part of the fuselage sitting on the beach."

Jin shouted and pointed again. "Fire!" he said pointing at the beach. Both Michael and Sawyer could see what Jin was yelling about. There was a fire on the beach – and – people! There were people waving!

"I'll be damned" said Sawyer "They've got a welcoming party for us, Mickey!"

They were coming rapidly into view of the beach. Michael could make out four people; all of them yelling and waving their arms. Both he and Jin lifted their oars slightly because the waves were starting to take them into the shore. What was left of the raft suddenly became a huge surfboard, moving swiftly with every swell.

Michael tried to make out who was on the beach. He could see a dark-haired woman, a blonde woman and two men – he thought. One of the men was black. That realization brought Michael up short. Where was Jack? Is that Kate? Something was not right. Something was different.

The raft was moving rapidly through the surf. The parts that were hanging on by a prayer were starting to break off. The new rudder let go with a loud crack; almost taking Sawyer's arm with it. He cursed as the wood broke in his hand.

Now they could hear the shouts and screams over the roar of the crashing waves. They couldn't make out the words, but the tone seemed to be happy.

"Hold on, Hoss!" shouted Sawyer above the sound of the wave starting to break over him. The wave came down full force on the fragile raft and when Michael looked around, the cabin was gone. All the passengers were hanging on for dear life. Another wave came and it was the final push to get the even more fractured raft onto the nearest part of the beach.

"Jesus Christ!" cursed Sawyer as he was tossed onto the beach and rolled over onto his injured shoulder.

Michael was face down in the sand when he felt a hand come underneath is arm. He felt himself being gently pulled out of the rushing water and a deep voice filled his head.

"Hey there, son – you okay?" Michael turned to see a large black man helping his up and then pulled him into a bear hug. "I am so glad to see you, boy!" the voice rumbled into Michael's ear. He broke out of the embrace and gave a look of both shock and curiosity at the older man who was holding him. The other people on the beach were all talking at once.

"Who are you?" Michael's questions came out like bullets, "Where are we? Where's my son? - - Who are you people?

A young dark-haired woman stepped up to the men smiling. "We're the survivors of a plane crash - - Oceanic flight 815" she said looking at each of them, "Who are you?"

Michael backed away from the large man and stumbled over to Jin who was helping Sawyer up. He looked at them both with a questioning look and then back to the four people who were staring at them.

"B-b-but we're the survivors of flight 815."

_We'll meet beyond the shore_

_We'll kiss just as before_

_Happy we'll be beyond the sea_

_And never again I'll go sailing_

_No more sailing_


	7. Fixing A Hole

**Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 7**

**Fixing A Hole  
**

_I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in  
And stops my mind from wandering where it will go  
I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door  
And kept my mind from wandering where it will go  
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right  
Where I belong I'm right where I belong._

Locke continued down the corridor below the hatch. There were more markings on the walls portraying similar signs as the first ones. An all-seeing eye, a protector, fire, smoke. _What was it trying to tell him_, he thought, _the answer has to be here!_ He knew that the island wanted him to open the hatch, all the signs were there. _This is where I'm suppose to be, damn it!_ His flashlight flickered on the walls and on the floor in front of him. He could see a light at the end of the hallway. It glowed in the darkness that surrounded him. He could hear Jack's footsteps behind him and paused so he could catch up.

Jack saw Locke gesturing to him to follow more closely. He also saw that the older man was pointing to the end of the corridor. Jack could make out a faint light. He continued down the hall following Locke, illuminating him with his flashlight. There was a fire burning behind the bald man's eyes and it made Jack nervous. _No, not nervous_, Jack thought, _damn scared_. Locke had become unpredictable and foolhardy. Jack was one to assess a situation, go over the options, and then carry out a plan. _Not_, he thought, _to just jump down a hatch and hope for the best._

"Jack!" The doctor heard Locke call his name softly. He saw him jerk is head towards the light and motioned for Jack to follow.

Both men came to the edge of the opening in the wall. They waited in the corridor and strained to hear any sound. The opening was silent. Locke turned is head, smiled at Jack and nodded. Jack nodded back and they both went around the corner and found something they did not expect.

It was a room. A large room lit by overhead lights. There were no other openings except for the door that the men had entered. Inside there were several crates, large 50 gallon metal drums, and several pieces of electronic equipment. The crates were marked "Rations" on the side and looked like they had been there for a long time. The drums were marked "Potable Water" and were starting to show signs of rust along the edges.

Jack surveyed the room. He went over to one of the crates and started to pry loose the slats. Inside were army-style ration cans and foil-wrapped tins. _Food_, Jack thought, _real food – or almost real food._ Digging through the crate he also found a box with no markings. He pulled off the top and inside were several small cellophane packages of small, yellow cakes.

"Twinkies!" Jack shouted showing the packages to Locke.

"What?"

"These are Twinkies!" Jack laughed and ripped open one of the packages. He popped the entire cake into his mouth and the cream filling started to ooze all over his face. He didn't think he had ever enjoyed something so much. He looked over at Locke, but the older man was not happy. In fact, to Jack, he looked almost angry.

Locke went over to the wall and started to pound on it. He kept moving around the perimeter of the room, pounding the walls as he went. He wore a grimace of total frustration. He started pushing the crates and the barrels around. They fell over with a crash and the contents of the crates careened onto the floor. "There's got to be more!" he pleaded under his breath. He walked to the middle of the room and screamed.

"There's got to be more!"

Jack was stunned. He had never seen the older man like this. Locke was manic – screaming and clawing at the walls.

"John! Settle down!" Jack tried to grab Locke's arms to quiet him, but he just pushed Jack away.

Locke looked at Jack with tears in his eyes "This can't be it, Jack" he motioned around the room. "This couldn't be it!"

Jack came up slowly to Locke's side. "What were you expecting, John?" The doctor motioned to the entire room, "We have food, water, a place to hide…"

"An Answer!" Locke bellowed "It promised me an answer!"

Jack shook his head in disbelief, "What kind of answer? Is this about the whole island -fate - destiny thing…" his voice trailed off.

Locke glared at Jack but said nothing. He turned heel and left the room. Jack grabbed some of the Twinkies and stuffed them into his pockets.

"Locke! Wait!" Jack's voice echoed down the corridor and he could see that Locke was leaving him behind.

_See the people standing there who disagree and never win  
And wonder why they don't get in my door  
It doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right  
Where I belong I'm right where I belong_

Kate was pacing. Back and forth, back and forth. It was giving Sayid a headache.

"Kate! Please stop!"

She looked at him like she had forgotten he was there. She stood still and looked at her watch. She grimaced. And she started pacing again.

"Where are they, Sayid? They've been gone a long time." She started to pace faster.

The Iraqi had finally had enough. He stood up from the log he was sitting on, walked over to Kate and held her by the shoulders.

"Wearing a hole in the ground is not going to bring them back any sooner."

The sun was getting higher in the sky and the jungle was alive with the sound of birds and insects. Kate looked into the sky and stretched her back. _This is taking too long_, she thought, _something's happened._

"I should never have let him go down there" she said turning to Sayid with her arms folded in front of her.

Sayid smiled and shook his head "I don't think you could have stopped him, Kate." He walked over to the hatch. "He was going down there to get Locke." He gave Kate a worried look, "Locke is not to be trusted."

Kate came closer to the Iraqi "Jack told me something before the hatch blew up…"

Sayid lifted his eyebrows in a question. "Yes…"

Kate looked down the darkness of the shaft "He said we were going to have a "Locke problem."

Sayid cupped his chin with his hand and thought about what she had just said "A Locke problem," he repeated, "What do you think he meant by that?"

Kate shook her head, "I'm not sure – but it had something to do with what they were talking about in the jungle."

"What were they talking about?

"I wasn't close enough to hear, but I heard raised voices."

Sayid started to pace now. His face showed concern. He knew that Locke was hiding something but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Locke was obsessed with the hatch and Sayid couldn't figure out why.

Both of them turned at a sound coming from the hatch. They heard hard breathing and a light was shining out of the shaft. On their knees, they leaned down to look. The beam of a flashlight was shining in their faces. Both of them put their hands up to shade their eyes from the light. All they could see was someone climbing up the shaft. They heard a foot as it hit one of the unbroken rungs.

"Locke – Jack? Is that you?" All that came back was the grunting of someone having a hard time climbing up.

The beam of the flashlight now shone into the afternoon sky. Kate and Sayid stood back as the figure pushed his way out of the hatch.

"Jack?"

Kate grabbed the doctor's arm and helped him up from the ground. Jack looked around and was confused.

"Where's Locke?" he asked Sayid, "He was ahead of me."

"Locke?" answered Kate "You were the first one out, Jack."

Jack turned and looked down the shaft again. "LOCKE!" he yelled down the hole. All he could hear was his own voice echoing in the chamber. He started to go back down the shaft, but both Kate and Sayid grabbed his arms.

"No, no, no" scolded Sayid "You are not going back down there." Jack tried to break out of their grip, but he was being held fast.

"B-but he was ahead of me….he left first!" Jack sat down on the ground and put his hand to his head as he shook it. "I don't understand" he looked up at the pair "Where did he go?"

_Silly people run around they worry me  
And never ask me why they don't get past my door  
I'm taking my time with a number of things  
That weren't important yesterday and I still go_

_I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in  
And stops my mind from wandering where it will go_


	8. Shower The People

**Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 8**

**Shower The People**

_  
You can play the game and you can act out the part  
Though you know it wasn't written for you  
But tell me how can you stand there with your broken heart  
Ashamed of playing the fool  
One thing can lead to another; it doesn't take any sacrifice  
Oh father and mother, sister and brother  
If it feels nice, don't think twice_

Charlie and Claire entered the caves hand-in-hand. They seemed to arrive in the middle of Hurley's rendition of what had happened at the Black Rock and then the hatch.

"…so we, Arnst and me, were waiting for Locke, Jack and Kate to come out of the Black Rock, which is a ship…"

All the people in the caves were gathered around Hurley as he told the story. Many were wide-eyed and had expressions of awe on their faces. Charlie and Claire walked around the group and put their bags down against the cave wall. Aaron had fallen asleep and Claire set him into his cradle. She bent over, kissed him on the forehead, and pulled the blanket up around his chin. His little fists were all curled up and his head moved in his sleep, dreaming little baby dreams.

"…and then they brought out the dynamite in a box and Arnst started to yell at them…"

Hurley's audience was totally entranced with his story. Charlie and Claire sat down at the back of the group. He put his arm around her and she leaned into his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and sighed. He was happy – probably the happiest he'd been in a long time. He had once and for all kicked his drugs and pronounced his love for Claire. Could anything be better? Hurley's voice buzzed in his ear and he tried to keep better attention.

"…and then he just blew up!" There was a collective catch in the throat from the group.

"He just exploded?" asked Anna, the red-headed woman in the center of the group.

Hurley paused and nodded his head. "Dude, it was like there were pieces of him all over everywhere!"

Claire pulled back in disgust at this statement.

"Hurley, please…" pleaded Charlie holding Claire closer to him, cupping her head with his hand.

Hurley dropped his head to his chest. "Sorry, dude – but that's how it happened." He shook his head "Man, that was messed up…"

Claire looked up at the rocker, "Charlie – can we not be here?" There was a questioning look on his face. She started to get to her feet "I don't want to listen to this anymore…"

"Scared?" Charlie said softly. Claire nodded her head and pulled him towards the back of the caves near Aaron's cradle. They sat down with a soft plop on the floor. Charlie started to put his arm around her again but she shook him off. She looked nervously around the rest of the cave.

"I wonder where Jack is?" She tapped the stone floor with her finger. "He should be here! I mean Hurley's here…"

Charlie put his hand on her shoulder "Don't worry, luv. He'll be back soon and when…."

Claire turned and glared at Charlie, knocking the hand from her shoulder "Don't tell me not to worry!"

Charlie put both hands on her shoulders again, "Look - I know you're scared. I know…"

She tried to push him off again, but this time he held his grip. She stared at him first with anger, then frustration and finally gave in to tears. She put her head against his chest and let it all out. All the fright, all the sadness, all the hopelessness – it all soaked Charlie's shirt as he held her close to him. He patted her on the back and whispered reassurances to her, wishing he could believe them himself.

_Just shower the people you love with love  
Show them the way that you feel  
Things are gonna work out fine if you only will  
Shower the people you love with love  
Show them the way that you feel  
Things are gonna be much better if you only will_

Hurley continued with his story, wrapping it up with the blowing off the hatch. Everyone had questions and he tried to answer as many of them as he could. What about the monster? What's with the numbers? Why did Locke light the fuse? Are we going to hide inside hatch? All these questions and more peppered the large man and he finally had to put up his hands and asked them to stop.

"Dudes! I don't know anymore, Okay?" He stood up and went to get some water from the spring. A woman grabbed his sleeve and started a frantic conversation. He nodded his head and then shrugged his shoulders. The woman walked away mumbling to herself and Hurley went back to getting his water.

Shannon sidled up to Hurley after all the others had gone back to their places in the cave. She looked around to see if anyone was in earshot and put her hand on Hurley's arm.

"About this hatch…" her voice was low, "Is it dangerous?"

Hurley could tell by the sound of her voice and the way she returned to hugging herself that she was worried about Sayid. He put his arm around her slender shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"He's gonna be alright, Shannon" he said reassuringly. He brought her face up to look at him and smiled "Hell, he's probably better equipped for this kinda stuff than any of us." He pulled her into a hug and let her head rest on his chest for a moment.

Shannon gave him a little squeeze back and then broke out of the embrace. He had made her feel a little better, but the longer Sayid was gone, the more she worried about him. She smiled back at Hurley and went over to sit next to Sun. The Korean woman put her arm around the young girl and rocked her gently.

_You can run but you cannot hide  
This is widely known  
And what you plan to do with your foolish pride  
When you're all by yourself alone  
Once you tell somebody the way that you feel  
You can feel it beginning to ease  
I think it's true about the squeaky wheel  
Always getting the grease_

Charlie watched as the people in the cave disbursed to their respective spaces. He continued to hold Claire, who had finally stopped crying, and laid his head to rest on hers. He would do anything in his power to protect her, keep her safe, and love her. But the question was would she let him do it. She broke from his embrace when she heard the baby start to cry. He reluctantly let her go and watch as she picked the infant up from his cradle. She cooed at him and checked to see if he was wet. With a nod of her head she went over to her bag to get a new diaper.

The young rock star sat with his back against the cave wall and surveyed his surroundings. There was a hushed quality to the atmosphere, but everywhere he looked, people were holding hands, hugging or just sitting quietly next to each other. They were scared but they were not alone. Each felt strength from the other. They were all in this together, and as Jack had said long ago, they either worked together or they died alone. And, as Charlie observed, no one here was going to die alone.

Claire finished changing Aaron and sat next to Charlie while she nursed him. The Australian girl felt very comfortable leaning against Charlie while she nursed, but he felt that he was intruding on her privacy. He started to rise.

"Where are you going?" asked Claire grabbing his thigh.

"Um…er ..."Charlie blushed and looked away from her. "I thought, you know – maybe you…" he took a quick glance at her "…wanted to be alone while you did, you know…that"

Claire smiled up at him and pulled him back down beside her. "If I had wanted you to go…" she said leaning into his shoulder again, "I would have said so." Aaron suckled making little baby noises and Claire shifted him in her arm. "Now" she said, her face inches away from Charlie's, "What seems to be all the fuss?" She stretched up and kissed him on the mouth.

Charlie responded to the kiss and started to break it, but Claire wouldn't let him go. He closed his eyes and kissed her back with more fervor. He enveloped her in his arms and in doing so found his hand underneath her shirt. The feel of her swollen breast was both wonderful and frightening at the same time. He quickly started to pull away, but Claire locked his arm there with her elbow. He opened his eyes and pulled back his head.

"What are you doing?" he said breathlessly. He wasn't sure if this is what she wanted him to do. I mean, this is Claire, he thought.

She removed the sleepy baby from her breast and placed him between her and Charlie. He lay cradled between their thighs as they pressed each to the other. Charlie started to remove his hands from her stomach and she covered his hand with hers, pulling them back. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You make me feel safe, Charlie" she let go of his hand and gave him a hug, holding him close to her. Her hands crept underneath the back his shirt and she caressed his bare skin.

Charlie sighed and buried his face into her hair. "I love you, Claire." He pulled her back so he could look at her face. Tears sprinkled her cheeks.

"I know," she whispered. She held him to her again. "I love you too."

_Better to shower the people you love with love  
Show them the way that you feel  
Things are gonna be just fine is you only will  
Shower the people you love with love  
Show them the way that you feel  
Things are gonna be much better if you only will_


End file.
